Key players and officials believe a drugs-testing policy is urgently needed in golf, according to World Anti-Doping Agency chairman Dick Pound.

Nine-time major winner Gary Player told a British Open news conference earlier this week that the sport could have a big doping problem and called for the tours to speed up their plans for routine testing.

"I don't know how widespread it is, as there is no testing at the moment," Pound told the BBC on Sunday. "But key players and officials are telling me we need a policy in place before we have a major public problem."

Player, a three-time Open champion, estimated at least 10 players were using performance-enhancing drugs, quite possibly more.

Pound backed the 71-year-old South African, saying: "That comes from one of the icons of golf, who has no particular axe to grind out there now, other than to try and maintain the integrity of the sport."

Pound said he had been contacted by key figures in the sport who were worried about possible drug abuse among players.

Pound thought human growth hormone, beta blockers and the red blood cell booster EPO might be being used by some players.

Several leading players including Tiger Woods, world number two Phil Mickelson and European Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo were asked during the week if they had ever known of golfers using drugs, and neither of them had.

(China Daily via Agencies July 24, 2007)